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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998799">amateur dramatics</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/floating_cats/pseuds/floating_cats'>floating_cats</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Theatre, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Pining, Romantic Comedy, communication is NOT neji's strong point</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:07:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,739</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/floating_cats/pseuds/floating_cats</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>As Neji walked to the shops and then back home, he might have seemed calm to the untrained eye, but anyone who knew him would’ve wondered why he was visibly shaking with rage. His mind spun wildly, wondering when? and how! and why?! As far as he was aware, Tenten and Kiba had never even had a proper conversation, and now they were kissing in the moonlight?! Then he remembered: the fucking play.<i></i></i>
</p><p>
  <i>
    <i>Or: Neji doesn't understand his Feelings, pines (needlessly) for Tenten, and tries to direct a musical.</i>
  </i>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. (the painful process of) getting this show on the road</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/xwannaflyx/gifts">xwannaflyx</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for xwannaflyx for the NejiTen gift exchange!</p><p>This fic was partially inspired by the resemblance between Tamaki, Kiba's cat-loving girlfriend, and Tenten - observe! : https://imgur.com/a/PwMeej6</p><p>(I hope I'm not the only one who sees this...)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Neji Hyuuga prided himself on his good sense, clear-headedness, and ability to make well-reasoned, informed decisions - qualities that were worryingly rare amongst the rabble that made up Konoha University's student body – so to find himself in a ridiculous, highly unpleasant situation <em>of his own doing</em> was infuriating. To add insult to injury, he could now recall quite clearly the moment this farce had begun…</p><p>It was the opening night of Konoha Musical Theatre Society’s production of <em>Spring Awakening; </em>the performance had just finished – without major catastrophe, much to Neji’s surprise - and he was making his escape before anyone (Naruto) could rope him into some torturous group activity that would involve spending even more time in the vicinity of certain members of the cast.</p><p>The moment he stepped out the stage door, he was accosted by one of his housemates. ‘Congratulations, Neji!’ Lee said, thrusting a large bouquet of white flowers at him. ‘Your tireless work paid off; that was a most <em>stirring</em> experience!’</p><p><em>Stirring</em> was hardly the word Neji would’ve used to describe almost two and a half hours of watching Sasuke Uchiha parade about the stage singing about his sexual urges, but it was gratifying to know his nightmarish stint as stage manager had served some kind of purpose besides fraying his sanity. He gave the bouquet a tentative sniff. ‘Thanks, Lee.’</p><p>Lee beamed. ‘You’re welcome! Actually, it was Tenten who chose the flowers -’</p><p>‘Because <em>you</em> wanted to give him one of Gaara’s chinchilla kits,’ his other housemate – the aforementioned Tenten – finished wryly as she jogged up to them. She winked at Neji. ‘No need to thank me; enjoy your gardenias.’ He silently thanked her nonetheless; flowers were <em>infinitely</em> preferable to baby rodents. ‘Anyway,’ she continued, ‘<em>wow.</em> I’m impressed, Mr Stage Manager. You always made it sound like it was going to fail spectacularly, but it was – it went really well! How’re you feeling?’</p><p>‘I think I’m still running on adrenaline,’ he admitted. ‘You say it went really well, but there were still so many close calls. I can hardly believe something awful didn’t happen.’</p><p>Tenten made a face. ‘What, did <em>His Dark Majesty</em> try to do another runner?’</p><p><em>That</em> little temper tantrum – and its aftermath - had been the <em>pièce de résistance</em> of the entire damned theatrical experience; with a little over a week and a half to go until curtain-up, leading man Sasuke - who had already very much <em>not</em> endeared himself to Neji  –  made it very clear (mid-rehearsal) that Naruto’s directorial vision for the musical did not align with his own, announced he <em>was</em> going to take Orochimaru up on his offer to star as Danny in <em>Grease </em>instead, and stormed out. Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba spent the next two days trying to persuade an (inexplicably, in Neji’s opinion) distraught Naruto not to cancel the whole production, and not-so-gently reminding him that poor Sai – Sasuke’s understudy – did, in fact, exist for the <em>very purpose of replacing Sasuke</em>. Naturally, all their efforts had been in vain, and Neji was left still wondering if the wretched musical would’ve been put on at all if Sasuke hadn’t come crawling back three days later. Tenten (and Lee, when he was home) had listened to Neji vent his feelings on the topic several times.</p><p>Sasuke had behaved himself that evening, though.  ‘Not today. Shikamaru fell asleep and almost missed a cue, half of Kiba’s costume went missing during the interval, and -’ Neji paused as someone brushed past him: a long-haired blond, talking to (or rather, talking at) - </p><p>‘Sasuke!’ Lee whispered (but it was Lee, so it was more like a stage whisper), and nudged Tenten. ‘Look!’</p><p>Her eyes lit up. ‘Come on.’</p><p>Bemused and somewhat apprehensive, Neji watched Tenten and Lee approach Sasuke. As soon as the blond – Deidara, the set designer - dashed off to greet someone else, Tenten made her move. ‘Hi!’ she said, a bright, fake smile plastered across her face. ‘I don’t think we’ve met; I’m Tenten.’</p><p>Sasuke regarded her warily, his gaze flicking between her outstretched hand, slightly manic expression, and Lee standing behind her. Finally - with some reluctance - he shook her hand briefly and muttered, ‘Sasuke Uchiha.’</p><p>Tenten frowned. ‘Sorry, what?’</p><p>A smile curved across Neji’s lips. <em>Fair play, Tenten.</em></p><p>‘<em>Sasuke Uchiha.</em>’</p><p>She feigned confusion. ‘I didn’t quite catch that -’</p><p>‘SASUKE UCHIHA!’</p><p>This outburst earned him a few odd stares (Neji greatly enjoyed pretending to be a curious, slightly disapproving bystander). Sasuke shot Tenten a venomous glare, which she blithely ignored. ‘Ohh, <em>Sasuke!</em>’ she said cheerfully, and the glare became even more pointed. Neji <em>wished</em> he was able to conjure up that same breezy optimism (<em>à la</em> Gai, the eccentric man who ran the dojo Neji and his housemates trained at) in the face of Sasuke’s attitude of <em>this is my world, these idiots are just living in it.</em> ‘So, <em>Sasuke,</em> did you enjoy the play?’</p><p>‘I was in it.’</p><p>Tenten gasped. ‘Were you?’ she asked, turning to exchange glances with Lee, both of them looking like their eyes were going to fall out of their heads. Neji tutted inwardly; <em>no subtlety, either of them. </em>‘<em>Really?</em> Which part?’</p><p>Sasuke stared at her incredulously. ‘The <em>main one.</em>’</p><p>‘Huh…’ she said, cocking her head to one side and making a show of studying him intently. ‘Yeah. Yeah, I guess you’re right then.’ She then proceeded to give Sasuke a hearty slap on the back, told him, ‘Great job, Satsuki!’ and grabbed Lee by the wrist to drag him back to Neji.</p><p>The cherry on top was Gai approaching Sasuke immediately after Tenten, and saying, – voice rich with good intention - ‘Young man, you look almost - familiar…!’</p><p>Tenten snorted before bursting into distinctly unladylike laughter, gripping Lee’s arm as she doubled over. Her face was flushed, framed by a few tendrils of hair that had escaped her odango buns. Her expression was so warm and happy that when Neji briefly caught her gaze, he couldn’t help but get caught up in a hazy, sentimental feeling: an intense gratefulness that he was in this place, with these people. So, a few moments later, when Kakashi, the president of the theatre society, complimented him on a job well done, and asked if he’d be interested in directing the next show (the musical adaptation of some anime) Neji – without a second thought – said, ‘Why not?’</p><p>And what a mistake <em>that</em> had been.</p><p> </p><p>A few weeks later, castings for said musical rolled around. That was all well and good; Neji had everything under control… Until one Friday evening. It had just gone nine, and the panel had spent the last four hours watching dance auditions. He stretched, trying to get rid of the stiffness in his neck and shoulders. ‘Remind me how many more we have?’</p><p>‘Just one,’ Kurotsuchi, the choreographer, said, consulting the list. ‘She should be here soon.’</p><p>And, as if on cue, the door opened.</p><p>Neji glanced up, and did a double take at the new auditionee. ‘<em>Tenten?</em>’</p><p>She grinned back at him. ‘Neji! What a <em>surprise</em> to see you here.’</p><p>‘Likewise,’ he said, arching an eyebrow. He was aware of her interest in martial arts – they did Wing Chun together, Lee dragged them both to kickboxing on a semi-regular basis, and he had seen Tenten destroy people with a bo staff – but dance? He knew she took the odd class, but…</p><p>‘I would’ve told you I was auditioning,’ she said, pulling off her hoodie, ‘but I wasn’t sure myself. I haven’t done much performing.’</p><p>‘Well, aren’t you a dark horse?’ Ino - musical director and friend of Tenten - said, smirking. ‘I can’t believe you’ve kept those abs from us all this time.’</p><p>Tenten snorted, drawing an ornamental sword – usually hung on her bedroom wall - out of its carrying case. ‘I’m auditioning for Yukari,’ she said by way of explanation, taking her place in the centre of the room. ‘The kunoichi, the dancing one, with all the swords?’</p><p>From the moment she had walked in, Neji had been a <em>tad</em> apprehensive, wondering whether even if Tenten convinced <em>him</em> she was suitable for the part, - as he desperately wanted her to - the rest of the panel, who knew he and Tenten spent most of their time together, would lump him in with certain people (namely Naruto<em>,</em> whose bias towards Sasuke was infamous).</p><p>But he needn’t have worried.</p><p>Tenten was fantastic: lithe and powerful, every one of her movements melting seamlessly into the next, executed with an easy grace and abandon. Neji found it almost difficult to look at her. How had he not known about this passion of hers? He was so proud of his friend, but also – strangely unsettled. It was like a kind of dream; the girl he thought he knew, the Tenten he was so used to, had suddenly been possessed by some strange, sylph-like creature. He wasn’t sure he liked it. <em>It’s not up to you to ‘like’ it or not! </em>a voice in his head reprimanded, a voice suspiciously similar to Tenten’s, (<em>his</em> Tenten, the familiar one). <em>Get it together!</em></p><p>She finished the dance, frozen in position on her knees - arms outstretched, one extended above her like a flamenco dancer, the other holding the sword – save for the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Then she raised her head. Her whole body relaxed, and she smiled at him. A small round of applause broke out. Neji nodded back at her. Someone whooped.</p><p>There was a brief pause.</p><p>‘Thanks,’ he heard Shikamaru say. ‘We’ll be in touch.’</p><p>After Tenten had left the room, Ino turned to the others. ‘Well, <em>shit.</em> It’ll be difficult to top that.’</p><p>Neji could only agree.</p><p> </p><p>He still felt off twenty-four hours later, strangely… self-conscious when talking to Tenten. And he hated it.</p><p>It was just the two of them at home; Lee was out at one of his numerous sport club socials. Neji was supposedly reading an article, but had been stuck going over the same page for the last half hour; it was impossible to concentrate. He had the weird, constant urge to glance across at Tenten – sprawled out on the sofa, obliviously munching her way through a bag of scallion crackers - as if after yesterday, he would suddenly find her transformed beyond recognition. <em>You’re being ridiculous, </em>he told himself, <em>utterly ridiculous. It’s normal not to know absolutely everything about your friends; you didn’t know Lee had a motorcycle license until last month - that doesn’t mean your friendship before that was worthless! And -  </em></p><p>‘Hey, Neji?’</p><p>‘Mmm?’ he said, looking up from his laptop slowly, as if he hadn’t been waiting and hoping for this.</p><p>‘Temari said Tayuya was talking about you lot at volleyball practice.’</p><p>‘Oh?’ he replied.<em> Keep your head.</em> This was normal, safe territory. ‘Nothing good, I hope?’</p><p>Tenten snorted. ‘You know it. She didn’t seem very happy you passed her over for musical director.’</p><p>‘<em>I</em> didn’t pass her over,’ Neji said mildly, taking a sip of tea to hide his smile, ‘it was a group decision.’</p><p>She laughed, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender. ‘Hey, I don’t blame you; she sounds like a nightmare. I wouldn’t want to work with her either. Temari swears Tayuya’s trying to kill her via overhand serve, and they’re <em>on the same team.</em>’</p><p>‘If anyone aims to kill, it’s <em>Temari,</em>’ Neji said. ‘She could’ve done you serious damage at trials in first year. If Lee hadn’t jumped in -’</p><p>‘That was a competition,’ Tenten said dismissively, ‘and it was ages ago. We’ve talked about this. And speaking of competition…’ She waggled her eyebrows. ‘How’d I do yesterday?’</p><p>He felt a pull in his stomach. <em>Where to begin… </em>‘Well, we haven’t made any final decisions…’</p><p>She sighed dramatically. ‘Ah, you’re no fun…’</p><p>‘But - you were excellent,’ he hastened to add. ‘Really - excellent.’ He paused. ‘I – I didn’t know you were so into dance.’</p><p>She shrugged. ‘I did Chinese classical dance as a kid, up until I was fifteen; then I decided to focus on martial arts instead. They’re not so different.’</p><p>‘And I’m sure the fact that the latter gives you more opportunities to hit people with sharp objects played <em>no</em> part in that choice.’</p><p>She shoved an entire cracker into her mouth and beamed at him. ‘Well, I’ve got to get my kicks somehow.’</p><p> </p><p>As it turned out, Lee didn’t participate in his usual drunken activities that night (destroying various monuments around Konoha), but he <em>did</em> manage to sprain his own ankle. He was quite upset – though putting on a brave face – about not being able to take part in several physically taxing activities he had planned over the next month: a marathon for charity, a Wing Chun competition, and helping behind the scenes of the production Neji was directing. In an effort to cheer him up, Neji and Tenten had arranged a Bruce Lee movie marathon; although Tenten had apologised and miserably informed them that she would be a few hours late, as she had to go to library to catch up with work that was urgently due.</p><p>Lee had declared he and Neji absolutely <em>needed</em> snacks to watch the film with, and volunteered to drag himself down to the supermarket, ankle and all, to acquire them. Neji hastily intervened and offered to go instead, both of out of concern for his friend <em>and</em> for his own stomach lining (Lee liked foods that were so spicy as to be inedible to everyone else). And so, Neji was traipsing into town at a later hour than he would’ve liked. He took the shortcut by the river, enjoying the quiet stillness of the night air and the lights of the town glinting off the water. Suddenly, a loud bark rang out. Neji almost jumped out of his skin. </p><p>Someone shouted, ‘Akamaru!’</p><p>Neji levelled his breathing and glared at Kiba Inuzuka – who Neji knew both as a friend of his cousin, Hinata, and as another unfortunate embroiled in Konoha’s theatre society, including Neji’s upcoming musical - standing up ahead, now in deep conversation with his dog: ‘Is she coming down now?’ Akamaru barked again (apparently in the affirmative). ‘How do I look?’ </p><p>Neji rolled his eyes. So, this was some sort of romantic assignation, one that he had absolutely <em>no</em> intention of discovering any more about than he had to. But, then again, his housemates did not appreciate being left out of gossip… <em>The things I do…</em> he thought, half-fond, half-exasperated, discreetly positioning himself behind a convenient tree and peering round it. <em>A quick look to see if I recognise her, then I’ll take my leave.</em> And about a minute later, Mystery Woman made her appearance, launching herself into Kiba’s waiting embrace. Slim, medium height, with long dark hair that shone a reddish tint under the streetlight… Not Kurotsuchi then, nor Hinata (<em>thank God</em>).  Maybe Kin Tsuchi? Or that medic from Suna… Ameno? As she drew back, finally removing her face from Kiba’s, Neji caught a glimpse of her features. His breath stopped in his throat because, <em>oh…</em></p><p>He knew her alright.</p><p>He whipped back behind the tree, breathing hard despite his efforts to stay calm. <em>Surely not…! </em>He wondered if, for once, the perfect vision that was his birthright as a Hyuuga had failed him. He looked again. Still the same face.</p><p>
  <em>Tenten?!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>As Neji walked to the shops and then back home, he might have seemed calm to the untrained eye, but anyone who knew him would’ve wondered why he was visibly shaking with rage. His mind spun wildly, wondering <em>when?</em> and <em>how!</em> and <em>why?!</em> As far as he was aware, Tenten and Kiba had never even had a proper conversation, and now they were kissing in the moonlight?!</p><p>Then he remembered: <em>the fucking play.</em></p><p>Their characters were lovers, weren’t they? They did that damned tango/swordfight together. And so Tenten had got carried away, and somehow convinced herself she was in love with Kiba in real life. <em>Must have taken a lot of convincing,</em> Neji thought vindictively, casting his mind back to the many… interesting pieces of information Hinata had revealed about Kiba over the years; he had actually eaten part of one of Hinata’s houseplants (yes, he had been drunk, but <em>still</em>); as a twenty-year-old man, he had thought ‘brothel’ was a synonym for ‘soup kitchen’; and that wombats were a kind of bat…</p><p>Then another thought rang out, detached from the mess of emotions and clear as a bell: <em>why do you care so much? </em>Neji promptly decided that he didn’t want to think about that, and swept it under the metaphorical rug.</p><p> </p><p>Tenten wasn’t sure which was more incomprehensible: the dense academic texts which were required reading for her essay, or her own lecture notes on turbomachinery. At least she wouldn’t have to look at either of them again for some time (hopefully never); her essay was submitted – ten minutes before the midnight deadline no less! – and now, she had a solid few hours of Bruce Lee films with her boys to look forward to. As she took the books back to their shelves, walking through endless book-lined corridors, she thought how nice it was that the library was so <em>quiet</em> and <em>empty</em> at this time. Then she saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks.</p><p>Neji’s cousin, Hinata, and Sasuke Uchiha stared back at her, attached at the mouths.</p><p><em>Neji’s not going to be happy about this, </em>she thought vaguely.</p><p>Hinata pulled back, blushing furiously.</p><p>Tenten was the first to break the awkward silence. ‘Sorry, I’ll let you two -’</p><p>‘Tenten!’ Hinata interrupted, reaching out and grabbing Tenten’s wrist with a surprisingly steely grip before she could make a run for it. ‘Please - please don’t tell Neji just yet! I know he means well, but…’</p><p>Tenten grimaced. She knew exactly what Hinata was thinking. Neji could be rather overprotective of his baby cousin, and his opinion of Sasuke was… low, to say the least. Tenten had tried to argue that Sasuke didn’t actually possess the necessary emotional intelligence for intricate manipulation, and just impulsively did whatever he wanted to in the moment, but Neji seemed convinced that he was actually some sort of evil mastermind. If he found out Sasuke’s latest ‘victim’ was his precious cousin… Well…</p><p>‘Don’t worry,’ she promised. ‘I won’t say anything.’</p><p> </p><p>That was going to be more difficult than anticipated.</p><p>‘What have you been up to this evening?’ Neji asked Tenten quietly as she slid onto the sofa next to him.</p><p>An innocent question in itself, but Neji’s tone had… implications. She had <em>told</em> him what she would be doing, and Tenten – all too aware of the <em>I Unfortunately Discovered Hinata, Your Angelic Cousin, and Sasuke, Whom You Hate, Making Out in a University Building</em> incident - was immediately cautious. ‘I told you,’ she said, eyes fixed on the screen (Bruce Lee was handily beating a whole group of men with nunchaku), ‘I was at the library.’</p><p>‘Oh?’</p><p>‘Yeah, just studied for a few hours, realised I can’t read my own handwriting, handed in my essay…’</p><p>His gaze sharpened. ‘Did you… run into anyone?’</p><p>‘Run into anyone?’ she asked, suddenly going cold.</p><p>He nodded, and raised an elegant eyebrow.</p><p>Neji had very pale, striking grey eyes that, when he looked at you in a certain way, made it difficult to <em>think,</em> let alone lie convincingly. ‘Nope.’ She nonchalantly bit into what she was holding, and immediately choked on the handful of stupidly spicy crisps Lee had given her when she had walked in. She did her best to mask her inability to breathe. <em>Keep it casual, Ten. </em>‘Why?’</p><p>‘Did you see that?’ Lee cried suddenly, ‘He’s almost as brilliant as Gai-sensei! It’s like he was <em>inspired</em> by him…’</p><p>Neji frowned. ‘Lee, have you considered it might be the other way around?’ He seemed to have moved on from interrogating her. Tenten breathed a sigh of relief. <em>Crisis averted.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. the show must go on (even if the director is having an emotional crisis)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>‘Now, Neji,’ Lee said, ‘we both care for Tenten, but you cannot allow your own passion of youth to cloud your judgement -’<br/> <br/>Passion of youth?</i>
</p><p>
  <i>‘Lee,’ he said with a calmness he didn’t feel, ‘what are you suggesting? That I’m in love with her, or something?’<i></i></i>
</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a period of fruitless stewing, Neji finally decided to suck it up and talk to someone. Hinata – comparatively less insane than most people he knew, and completely non-judgemental - was his first choice, but eventually he decided on Lee; there was no one who knew both Neji and Tenten better.</p><p>When Neji approached him, Lee was doing pull-ups on the bar over his bedroom door, dressed in his habitual workout attire of a green jumpsuit and orange legwarmers. ‘Neji, my rival!’ he exclaimed, his face dripping with sweat. ‘You’re looking particularly youthful today!’</p><p>‘Thank you, Lee. But if you’re busy, I can come back later -’</p><p>‘Nonsense!’ Lee cut in cheerfully. ‘What is it? Is something troubling you?’</p><p>‘I wouldn’t say <em>troubling</em> me,’ Neji said carefully, taking a seat on Lee’s bed, ‘but there is something I’ve been… occupied with.’</p><p>‘And you’ve come to Konoha’s Handsome Green Beast for counsel: a wise move!’</p><p><em>I suppose I have...</em> ‘It’s about the show.’</p><p>‘The show?’ Lee asked, lowering himself up and down. ‘Of course, I am <em>thrilled</em> that you are confiding in me, but have you spoken to Tenten about this? It’s just that she might be more helpful, as she is, after all, the one who is in it.’</p><p><em>That’s the problem! </em>Neji did <em>not</em> shout. ‘About Tenten…’ he continued, keeping his tone as level as he could. ‘Have you noticed her acting… strangely lately?’</p><p>‘Strangely?’ Lee repeated, frowning. ‘What do you mean?’</p><p>Neji sighed. ‘I think she might be… seeing someone. From the show. Secretly.’</p><p>There was a brief pause as Lee processed that, then:</p><p>‘Our Tenten?’ he screeched, sounding <em>far</em> too excited, and launched himself from the bar onto the bed like a very enthusiastic cannonball, barely stopping to wince when he stood on his bad ankle. ‘Experiencing her first bloom of passion? Well, except for Sasuke... But was that <em>really</em> passion, though…? She said he was ‘cute’.’</p><p>Neji blanched. ‘<em>What?’</em></p><p>‘But that was many years ago!’ Lee powered on obliviously. ‘I must say, she has not mentioned any of this to me! But it would be most exciting, would it not!’</p><p>‘Would it?’ Neji asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘I don’t know... I don’t think she and – this guy are particularly well-matched. She might just be getting carried away with the role. And why wouldn’t she tell <em>us?</em>’</p><p>‘Now, Neji,’ Lee said, ‘we both care for Tenten, but you cannot allow your own passion of youth to cloud your judgement -’</p><p>
  <em>Passion of youth? </em>
</p><p>‘Lee,’ he said with a calmness he didn’t feel, ‘what are you suggesting? That I’m <em>in love</em> with her, or something?’</p><p>As soon as those words left his lips, Neji knew he’d made a grave error.</p><p>‘Oh, no, no!’ Lee said hastily. ‘Not at all! I meant that clearly you have a deep and special friendship, and you are not used to having to share her with -!’</p><p>But Neji couldn’t pay attention, not after what Lee had just said. There was only one thought thrashing around wildly in his mind, turning the rest of his head to mush.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck. I am in love with her.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Now that Neji was aware of how he felt, there was no going back.</p><p>The run-throughs were awful, as he had suspected they would be. Kurotsuchi called things like, ‘That’s it, ramp up the sexual tension!’ while Tenten and Kiba circled each other, swords drawn, on stage. The orchestra was playing a tense, rhythmic accompaniment. Then they were in hold, Kiba twisting Tenten into his arms, dipping her to the floor, her body curled around his shoulders.</p><p>Neji’s jaw clenched. He briefly considered putting the family fortune to good use and bribing one of the freshers to set off the fire alarm so this blasted rehearsal would finally end.</p><p>‘Yes, yes, stare into each other’s eyes, closer, closer, and – now – yes, Tenten! Do it! <em>Stab him!</em>’</p><p>And there went the secret dagger, from her garter belt into Kiba’s arm.</p><p>‘You good?’ someone asked, and Neji turned to see Shikamaru staring pointedly at him.</p><p>Neji was about to say he was fine, and why was he asking; then he looked down and realised he had torn his call sheet into tiny pieces.</p><p> </p><p>But worse was his new recognition that the precious everyday moments they shared – that he had stupidly taken for granted for years - would never be the same.</p><p>Neji wondered how he hadn’t realised he was in love with her sooner. She was so beautiful, and he had just – never really thought about it. Now he couldn’t stop noticing things, some of which were normal romantic stuff - the soft deepness of her hazel eyes, her graceful figure, the way she chopped vegetables at the speed of light – but some were just odd: the soft, delicate skin on her eyelids that he wanted to press his lips to, the beauty mark high on her right cheekbone, the gentle slope of her neck, her cooing over historical weapons like they were baby animals. He would go through an endless cycle of rhapsodising about all the minutiae of things that made her who she was, basking in her presence, then the reality of his situation slammed into him: she would never return his feelings. She was in love with someone else. She could be a good friend to him, but no more.</p><p>It was highly unpleasant.</p><p>He agonised over what he should do. Sometimes, he felt he was being crushed under the weight of his feelings, and he longed to tell her, to relieve some of that pressure, and if Kiba were not in the picture, he might’ve done it; Neji knew he and Tenten got on well, dating might not be so different from their current relationship. But he couldn’t. She was already attached, and he ought to respect that. And their friendship meant a lot to him; he wouldn’t give it up for something so ridiculous as this. Better to carry on, hope whatever he was feeling would die down, and then he could go back to normal.</p><p>And if he was avoiding Tenten, that was only for the time being, to prevent him from doing something embarrassing, like blurting out he loved her every time she looked in his direction, or banging his head against the nearest flat surface every time he remembered that Kiba existed and Tenten wanted to kiss him.</p><p>Everything would go back to how it was before, Neji assured himself. It <em>had</em> to.</p><p> </p><p>But he could only avoid Tenten for so long.</p><p>‘Evening, Neji,’ Ino said. Neji glared at her. ‘Evening’ was rich; it was two in the morning, and if Neji was all <em>puffy</em> the next day, it would be her fault. She was lucky she hadn’t accidentally woken Lee and triggered the reflexive ‘home invasion’ response. ‘Delivery for you.’</p><p>‘Neji!’ an obviously inebriated Tenten slurred happily, stumbling forward, only stopping herself from face-planting onto the carpet by seizing the front of his dressing gown. Neji’s annoyance immediately turned to concern.</p><p>‘Will you be okay to look after her?’ Ino asked. ‘I’d stay, only I need to get <em>this one</em> back home.’ She gestured to Sakura, who was practically draped over her shoulders.</p><p>Neji nodded. ‘We’ll be fine.’ After they’d gone, he led Tenten over to the sofa. ‘Sit. I’ll get you something to drink.’</p><p>He set a glass of water down in front of her, half-expecting protestations, but she drank it all without complaint. ‘Thanks,’ she said quietly. She paused. ‘Neji?’ Her tone of voice was… odd.</p><p>‘… Yes?’ he replied, with no small amount of dread.</p><p>‘Have I – done something to upset you? It’s just that – we haven’t spent much time together recently, and we usually spend <em>all</em> our time together, you know?’ She swallowed, and swiped ineffectively at her eyes. She was <em>crying.</em> Neji felt sick. Tenten, as a rule, didn’t cry (Lee cried enough for the three of them, anyway).</p><p>He wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms and comfort her, tell her that there were few people more important to him than her, that he didn’t know what he would do without her. ‘Tenten,’ he said, sitting next to her. ‘Look at me – I swear, I’m not upset with you, not at all. How could I be? I’m just – busy.’ It sounded lame, even to him. ‘With the production.’</p><p>However, she seemed to accept it, and pressed her forehead into his shoulder. ‘Good. It’s been driving me mad.’ Her voice was muffled. ‘Stupid boy.’</p><p>Neither of them spoke for some time. Neji sat, frozen, waiting for her to lift her head, not wanting to look at her.</p><p>He started to wonder if she’d fallen asleep, and risked a brief glance down. <em>Christ.</em> Her eyes were fully open, gazing up at him. ‘Neji…’ she breathed. Her face was flushed, and her pupils were blown wide, and her lips were parted, and she was so close to him he could feel the heat of her skin on his own. In another world, maybe, she would press her mouth to his and– <em>Enough! She’s drunk. And she has a boyfriend. </em></p><p>‘It’s late,’ he said quickly, standing up. ‘We should both get some sleep. It’s a big day tomorrow.’</p><p>
  
</p><p>Said big day went off without a hitch, but Neji was in no mood to celebrate the success of his directorial debut and found himself (once again) trying to leave the theatre as quickly as he could after the performance.</p><p>To no avail.</p><p>‘Hey, Neji, wait up!’ Neji gritted his teeth, but ground to a halt. ‘What’s the big rush?’ Kiba asked, slinging an arm around his shoulders. ‘Not coming out with us?’</p><p>Neji smiled tightly. ‘No… I’m very busy this evening. Lots of work.’</p><p>Kiba opened his mouth to respond, but was intercepted by his overgrown shaggy rat pouncing on him. ‘Akamaru!’ he exclaimed, laughing, ruffling the massive dog’s fur. ‘What did you think, huh?’</p><p>‘God, your mutt is hard to control,’ a woman’s voice said.</p><p>‘Tamaki!’ Kiba said, looking up. Neji’s eyes narrowed; Kiba actually seemed slightly <em>more</em> excited to see this girl than his beloved dog. ‘You – you showed up!’ He waggled his eyebrows. ‘Wasn’t I <em>dashing</em>?’</p><p>She grinned. ‘I have to say, I didn’t expect you to have those moves, Dog Boy.’</p><p>Kiba looked awed. Then he <em>kissed this Tamaki full on the lips.</em></p><p>Neji saw red.</p><p>‘Neji?’</p><p>He looked back, and was mortified to see Tenten standing behind him, watching her faithless cad of a boyfriend kiss another woman. Glaring daggers at the two, Neji took her by the wrist and gently led her to the side. ‘Tenten,’ he said earnestly, ‘I’m so sorry.’</p><p>She raised her eyebrows. ‘Yikes. I wasn’t <em>that</em> bad, was I?’</p><p>‘No, of course not!’ Neji sighed. ‘I’m talking about Kiba, and -’ He gestured helplessly towards the embracing couple. ‘- his new girlfriend.’</p><p>Tenten cocked her head to one side. ‘Neji,’ she said, frowning, ‘what the goddamned hell are you <em>talking</em> about?’</p><p>‘Well - I thought -’</p><p>‘<em>What</em> did you think?’ she asked, putting her hands on her hips and staring him down.</p><p>‘That – that - you and him were – <em>involved.</em>’</p><p>Tenten looked at him in disbelief. ‘Me and <em>Kiba</em>?’ He nodded sheepishly. ‘You know it’s only a play, right?’</p><p>‘But - you were - kissing! By the river!’</p><p>Tenten was about to speak but stopped herself. She sighed. ‘Neji,’ she said patiently, ‘<em>look</em> at Kiba’s girlfriend.’</p><p>Neji did as he was told. The girl stepped back out of Kiba’s embrace, and – <em>ah. </em>Hazel eyes. Dark hair. And a strong resemblance to Tenten, although of course, this girl was not <em>quite</em> as beautiful. <em>Oh God.</em> ‘I thought -’</p><p>She snorted. ‘I know what you thought. Fuck’s sake, Neji, why didn’t you just <em>ask</em> me?’</p><p>‘I tried!’ he protested. ‘You seemed – defensive! I thought you didn’t want me to know!’</p><p>Tenten paused. ‘Oh – right… Well, I promise you I am not dating Kiba. Or anyone else, as a matter of fact.’</p><p>Neji swallowed. She was <em>single.</em> He was in love with Tenten, and she was <em>single.</em> It felt like the world had shifted on its axis.</p><p>Then, two green blurs darted in -</p><p>‘My students!’ Gai bellowed, and Neji found himself, Tenten and Lee wrapped in a crushing hug. ‘My <em>youthful</em> students! Your multitude of talents inspire me so! Neji – your artistic vision and masterful direction: incredible! And Tenten, your graceful dancing and passionate sword fighting: amazing! ! And Lee, you clapped so tirelessly, and so well! I must take you all out for dinner – my treat!’</p><p> </p><p>That evening, after Lee had gone to bed, Neji lay on the sofa, looking up at Tenten as she talked about Lee’s idea of them all going on a hiking holiday together over the summer. Her face was animated, her eyes bright and deep in the dim light. She still had a smudge of glitter on her cheek from her stage makeup, and she was absent-mindedly twirling a knife between her fingers.</p><p>‘I think I’m in love with you,’ Neji said quietly.</p><p>Her face changed so quickly from ‘neutral and happy’ to ‘mildly horrified’, it might’ve been funny if it wasn’t so gutting. ‘What?’</p><p>He repeated himself.</p><p>'You're serious?'</p><p>Neji frowned. ‘You know I wouldn’t joke about this. Of course I’m serious. I’d like to give us a go - if you want to.’</p><p>She still wasn’t saying anything. ‘If you don’t,’ he said quickly, ‘I’ll never mention it again. We can still -’ She was shaking her head.<em> Fuck.</em> ‘I’m sorry, I -’</p><p>‘Shush, Neji,’ she said. He shushed. She laughed, slightly hysterically. ‘I mean, what <em>sane</em> person would turn you down?’</p><p>‘You seem to be doing a fair job.’</p><p>She rolled her eyes, which Neji thought was slightly unfair. ‘For fuck’s sake, I’m not turning you down! I’m just – surprised, is all.’</p><p>‘You never thought of me like that?’</p><p>‘I <em>couldn’t</em> think of you like that! You’re hot, and smart, and weirdly hilarious, and brilliant at everything you touch, and you also happen to be one of my best friends - I’m not a masochist, Neji! And you’ve never shown interest in, well, anyone…’</p><p>‘I’m interested in you.’</p><p>‘So you’ve said! And it’s a bit overwhelming.’</p><p>‘Wait. Before we go on with this conversation, can you just clarify -’</p><p>‘The only reason I am not currently completely gone for you is because I’ve been holding myself back for three years,’ she said bluntly. ‘You have no idea what you’ve unleashed.’</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. His heart was hammering in his chest. ‘So that’s… a yes, I presume?’</p><p>‘You presume correctly,’ she said in her <em>I am Neji and I am very posh </em>voice, leant forward, and kissed him.</p>
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